Principal Data and Control Systems Engineer

Company Overview:  

We invented a new approach to design, build, and fly our own rockets, starting with Terran 1 – the world’s first entirely 3D printed rocket and Terran R our reusable next generation 3D printed rocket.

Using our vertically integrated technology platform, leveraging additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and autonomous robotics to deliver superiority over traditional aerospace manufacturing methods, we’re disrupting 60 years of aerospace with our novelty approach to get to space, Mars, and beyond faster, more cost-effective, and more reliable.
 
We believe in a future where interplanetary life fundamentally expands the possibilities for human experience. Our long-term vision is to upgrade humanity’s industrial base on Earth and on Mars. 

Team:

The Development Test team is responsible for all hazardous testing in our Long Beach facilities. We use our breadth of experience and collaborative engineering approach to support everything from very large structural tests to precise valve actuation. To that end, we design, build, and operate all test assets from initial concept to test execution. If you enjoy working on a multi-disciplinary team with a broad mandate and want to put hands on hardware, then this is the team for you.

What you’ll do:

As a Principal Data and Control Systems Engineer, you will be responsible for solving the hardest integrated challenges, mentoring team members, and guiding architectural decisions of our test systems. The projects you work on will be deployed across the factory and will range from scrappy development kits to permanent infrastructure. You will be hands on, working side-by-side with our engineering and technician teams to build, debug, and deploy each system.

Your projects will require an unusual combination of technical depth and breadth. As an expert in your field, you will be responsible for conducting risk analysis, guiding design engineers, and communicating complex DACS concepts to a variety of audiences. You should be able to work on projects without a clear precedent, and you should be comfortable working with both hardware and software.

While we don’t expect you to know everything, you should have the skills required and be passionate about several of these projects:

• Architecture of highly distributed data and control systems
• Specification of sensing technologies for low and high data acquisition rates (100 Hz to 100 kHz and beyond) to measure values of interest directly and indirectly
• Design of hardware and software systems that demand high-availability, high-reliability, and time-critical operation.
• Automated deployment and configuration of complex software systems
• Design of lightning protection systems for large metallic structures and mounted systems
• Design of control systems for high power fluid equipment
• Electromagnetic interference (EMI) troubleshooting and mitigation at both small (benchtop) and large (building sized) scale
• Development of control systems and algorithms to operate dynamic testing systems such as multi-axis motion simulators, slosh dynamic measurement systems, etc.

What you need to know:

• Bachelor’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience designing, building, and testing electrical and software systems.
• Demonstrated experience with retrofit and clean sheet design of complex DAC systems
• Experience identifying and implementing new project opportunities based on long term company goals
• Track record of developing top engineering talent through mentorship and training

Nice to have but not required:

• Familiarity with scripting languages such as Python or MATLAB for preforming analysis or writing automation tools.
• Experience with embedded or systems programming in languages such as C, C++, or Rust.
• Familiar with communications methods such as, but not limited to, SPI, Ethernet, EtherCAT, CAN, and Modbus.
• Experience developing and tuning control algorithms

*No previous aerospace experience is required for this position.

Relativity Space offers competitive salary and equity, a generous vacation policy, an annual L&D stipend and more! 

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.